hat a weekend! Eildon really turned it on. By 'it', I mean the taps. It rained. And rained and rained. Over the Saturday night, it fairly pissed down. The best analogy would be the rain that is more than your windscreen wipers can put up with - like tipping a bucket on the tent! But it was all in fun. We also managed to get to the other side of Eildon, a spot we've always looked at but never worked out how to actually get to, underneath the longest span of power lines in the southern hemisphere.

Moving a bit of firewood about. Doesn't everyone use chains and trucks?? Nice lakeside campsite tho, no?


Weee, fire goes round and round..


Lunching, how terribly civilized..!

Err, I don't think old mate is going anywhere quickly. 3 snatch straps together solved this little mischief, its the hole to the left of the video elsewhere in the post

Splash - big kids...

I was thwarted by this stinking hill behind me - slick clay, low pressure, loads of wellington, no jog. One broken aerial later, defeated. I'll be back..!


Thats those powerlines, and you can see Eildon in the distance. Its not a sight you see often unless you are on the water.
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More Photos

So in other news, it was noted on the Felt Racing blog that I will be stepping down from Felt Racing. That'd be true, the time has come. My reasons are sound, nothing sinister, as its kinda lost its challenge a little bit. The racing, by no means, is easy and the competition we face every race brings it on stronger and stronger. But the actual act of racing is the smallest part of the picture, as training is the most important part. For the last little while, training has just been an excuse to go catch up with my mates, and that seemed to be the whole and only focus. Which in any normal mind would be fine, and a welcome distraction, but it had gotten to the point that I was completely distracted from the purpose of making myself faster, not to mention the fact it takes me kilometres and hours away from the rest of my life and partner. My focus has shifted, and as such, I cannot perform at a level that I think is required to do Felt Racing justice. The list of things that I whinge about has exceeded the amount of things that make me happy, and that balance needs correction.

Felt Racing is at a point where it can (I hope) stand on its own two feet. Taken from an idea I took to Southcott around 4 years ago, to get a few of my mates to make a team to take on the new Enduro style of races, its progressed to be the leader of the pack, in my opinion. Professionalism, performances and the general perception of the team is something that we have prided ourselves on, and it has gone to what I think of, as the highest level. At that point in time, its time for me to step aside, and move to the next idea that I have, and see if I can't take that along the same progression. Whilst I allude to a new project, I'll keep it under my hat for the moment, but keep an eye out. You'll see all about it, if I have anything to do with it!

So a new team manager is in the process of being appointed, the 3rd rider is 99% locked in (a bike is allocated to him) and a 4th is in discussion. Its seems that its all coming together for next season, but in the meantime, Kona24 is the next major race for us, and the final race for the season. We'll be there, don't you worry about that!